MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will decide on the proposal to allow Filipino workers to return to China, Hong Kong, Macau and other declared areas when the situation is stable.
The president has declared a temporary travel ban to China and its special administrative region amid the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-
nCoV ARD) threat.
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Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the government will conduct daily assessments on the situation in China.
"We will assess it day by day. The president will decide if he sees that it is stable and safe to lift the ban for Filipino workers who want to go back and work in Hong Kong or China," Nograles told reporters Wednesday.
The Cabinet official added that the government
is concerned on the health and safety of overseas Filipino workers,
as well as their source of livelihood.
The daily assessments would be conducted to see whether the situation in China is worsening or normalizing.
"We realize the need for them (OFWs) to start work immediately. We realize the concern about their jobs but we
have to balance that also with public health, public safety," Nograles said.
The labor department earlier assured OFWs affected by the travel ban to China and its special administrative regions that they would receive financial
assistance from the government.
Acting Labor Secretary Renato
Ebarle earlier announced that the Overseas Welfare Administration has
been ordered to provide P10,000 cash
assistance, accommodation and transportation to each stranded OFW.
As of Wednesday, China's National Health Commission confirmed that infections in the novel coronavirus outbreak has reached 24,324.
There have been 65 new deaths from the virus, bringing the national toll to 490. — Patricia Lourdes Viray